Legal Question in Family Law in California

Teen Marriage

my fiance and i have been together for quite some

time. we want to get married as soon as we can

and believe we'd be able to make it through for the

rest of our lives together. the love we have is

unconditional. we have understanding and

readiness for the responsibilities that come along

with marriage (money, bills, house, etc.). he and i

have great jobs and he would get a house loan

from the government as he is currently enlisted in

the Coast Guard. our situation is this: he is 20

and i am 17. his parents are wanting us to get

married young but, unfortunately, mine arent. they

would never give consent because they still enjoy

the idea that im under them by age even though

my maturity level exceeds that of other girls my

age. They are control freaks, basically, but that is

a whole other issue. We desperately want to run

off somewhere and get married secretly but dont

know what our options are legally. is there a place

in the US we could go to not need my parents to

give their consent? what legal action would be

needed to make this early marriage happen?

thanks for your time.


Asked on 9/06/01, 8:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates

Re: Teen Marriage

Well first off the man could be liable for statutory rape for having sex with a minor. It does not matter if you consent or not.

The only option in these circumstances under California law is to become emancipated. That means to become an adult in the eyes of the law. To do this you would have to prove to a Court that you can support yourself and that you are mature enough to be deemed an adult.

Read more
Answered on 10/25/01, 9:18 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody and Adoption questions and answers in California